Air conditioning system for railway passenger cars



Jan. 26, 1937. H. D. EUWER I 2,068,851

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARS Filed March 24,1954 6Sheets-Sheet l INVENLI'OR BY Herherfflfuwer 5TH 'A TORNE Jan. 26, 1937.y H. D. EUWER 2,068,851

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARS Filed March 24, 19346 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY Herbe rf D Euwer ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1937. M/2,068,851

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYPASSENGER CAYRS Filed March 24, 19346 Sheets-Sheet 3 V Herb? D fun er Jan. 26, 1937. D EUWER AIRCONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARS Filed March 24, 1934 6Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Herberf D. Euwer ATfoRNE Jan. 26, 1937. H, w R2,068,851

AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARS INVENTOR BY Herber/Dfun er ATTORNEY Jan. 26, 1937. H. D. EUWER 2,068,851 AIR CONDITIONINGSYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARS Filed March 24, 1934 6 Sheets-Sheet 6INVENTOR BY Herberf D Eda er t 'lTORNEY i Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNlTEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY PASSENGER CARSHerbert D. Euwer, St. Charles, Mo., assignor to American Car and FoundryCompany, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Applicaticn March 24, 1934,Serial No. '717,166

13 Claims.

This invention relates to air conditioning systems and apparatus and hasparticular reference to means to effect the conditioning of air in thepassenger compartment of a railway car to free it from foreign mattersuch as dirt, soot, cinders, etc. and to control the temperaturethereof.

The present invention, as will be more fully apparent hereinafter,contemplates an air conditioning system so designed and arranged as tobe capable of installation in association with a railway passenger carwithout serious or extensive modifications of the car body or anymodification .Of the interior of the car other than the provision of acompartment at the end portion of the car and the provision of suitableport openings through the lower deck.

The present invention has for another object the provision of an airconditioning system for railway cars embodying a plurality ofindependently functioning air conditioning units connected in parallelwith a suitable compressor and condenser.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an air conditioningsystem for railway passenger cars of the monitor deck type whichincludes a circuit through which a refrigerant such, for example, asammonia, methyl chloride or the like is circulated, the circuit having acompressor and a condenser therein and a plurality of air conditioningunits or evaporators arranged adjacent the monitor deck exteriorly ofthe car and adapted to receiveand condition air from the interior of thecar, the units having means associated with each thereof which areresponsive to temperature conditions within the units for regulating orcontrolling the functioning of said units or, more particularly, thepassage of refrigerant thereto.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an airconditioning system for railway cars in which the conditioning unitsthereof are arranged at the monitor deck but on the exterior surfacethereof. l

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an airconditioning system for railway cars which is so designed thatsubstantially all piping, fin coils, blowers and other parts arearranged on the exterior of the car, but well ins'ulated, so that thesystem may be easily and quickly applied to anymonitor deck car and sothat the parts are easilyv accessible to permit quick replacementthereof should occasion arise.

Another object-of this invention is the provision of an airconditioningsystem for railway cars in which air is withdrawn from theinterior or passenger compartment of the car at a plurality of pointsthroughout the length of the car, then cooled and injected into the carfor recircu- 5 lation; the system being devoid of air conveying ductsarranged within the body or passenger compartment of the car.

This invention also contemplates an air conditioning system andapparatus for railway cars 10 which is easy to install, simple tooperate and which consists of relatively few parts so arranged as to becapable of quick replacement and said system and the parts thereof arestrong and durable in operation. 15

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a top plan view of a railway car, thelatter having the present system applied thereto, and said view showingthe" individual air conditioning units.

. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a car showing the presentsystem applied thereto.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic end view of a portion of a car with the presentsystem applied thereto.

Fig. 4 is a transverse view through a car having the present inventionapplied thereto, the 30 view being taken intermediate the ends of thecar and showing the car body diagrammatically.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the airconditioning units.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 35 F'ig.

Fig. '7 is a sectional view on the line 1-'|,'Fig.

5, and showing in addition the air inlet to the v car.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8, Fig. 40 6 and showing inaddition the air outlet from the car to the unit.

Fig. 9 is a view of the condenser in its position in a car, certainparts of the view being broken away to disclose other partsmore clearly.

Fig. 10 is a side view of the condenser shown in Fig. 9, the view beingtaken in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line I l-l I, Fig. 9.

Fig.. 12 ,is a view on the line l2-l2, Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a side elevational view of the compressor unit, and v Fig. 14is a diagrammatic view of the system.

Before describing the specific construction of 55 the various partsemployed in the present system, reference is now made toFig. 14 in whichthe system is clearly illustrated as comprising a compressor unit Aconnected by a gas line B to a condenser C, the latter having aconnection by means of a pipe line D to the several air conditioning ortempering units E; the pipe line D being adapted to conduct liquidrefrigerant to the several units E and the refrigerant, after passingthrough the units, entering a suction line H connected to a return lineI leading back to the compressor unit A. The units E have means foradmitting air thereinto to pass through said units in the direction ofthe arrows shown in said Fig. 14 to be cooled by contact with fin coilsG and then discharged'out of the air conditioning units E throughoutlets K. Connecting each of the units E with the liquid line D arevalve controlled branches indicated at L and the specific constructionof the several parts will be pointed out hereinafter.

It can be seen that the present system includes a refrigerant circuit B,D, H and I in which is a compresser A and a condenser C and also aplurality of air conditioning or tempering units E; the latter beingindependently operable because each thereof has a valve controlledbranch associated therewith through which the refrigerant passes. Inline D of the circuit a magnetic shut-off valve V is provided whichfunctions automatically by a thermostat T operative in response totemperature variations within the car body to control circulation of therefrigerant in the refrigerant circuit heretofore described.

Referring now more specifically to the remainder of the figures of thedrawings, the compressor A ismounted within a box 2, suitably ventilatedof course, depending from the underframe 3 of the car about midwaybetween the ends thereof (see Figs. 2 and 13). In the instance shown thecompressor unit comprises a pair of pumps 4 and 5 respectively, eachhaving a motor I for driving purposes, the pumps receiving gas from apipe- 8 connected with the return line I (Fig. 14) indicated in Fig. 2as a pipe 10.

As can be seen in Fig. 13, gas from pipe 8 is directed to the pumpsthrough suitable piping I2 having a suction gauge l4, a valve l6 andstrainer l8 therein for obvious purposes. The compressor unit, moreparticularly each pump thereof, is also provided with suitable cut-outswitches operative automatically in response to pressure conditions forcontrolling the operation of unit A, but as these are more or lessconventional they are not shown in detail. Suffice to say that a switchoperative automatically upon increase in pressure beyond a certain pointis provided for each pump and a switch operative automatically upondecrease in pressure below a certain limit is also provided, and thatthe switches of one compressor are set to operate within differentpressure ranges than those of the 4 other compressor.

Obviously the gas received from pipe 8 and passed in the pumps 4 and 5is compressed by the pump and is discharged at a high pressure throughbranches l8 into the line B (Fig. 14) indicated as a pipe 28 in Figs. 2and 13, the op-' in a box 28 formed within the compartment 22 andcomprising an upper header or manifold 30 receiving gas under highpressure from the pipe 20, and a plurality of coils 32, the lower endsof which are connected to a liquid refrigerant header 34. At the upperwall of the box 28 a blower housing 36 is formed containing a suctionfan 38 operative to draw air from outside the car through an opening 40formed in the side wall of the car adjacent the lower portion of thecool ing tower, through the box 28 and over the coils 32 and through theblower housing 36 to be discharged outside the car body through anopening 42. The openings 40 and 42 are provided with suitable shutters44 which may be adjustably positioned within the openings if desired andthe upper portion of the box 28 adjacent its juncture with the blowerhousing 36 is provided with a series of eliminators 46 for the purposeof sep arating moisture from the air prior to its dis charge outside thecar, as will be apparent hereinafter. I

The high pressure connection line 20 is provided with suitable controlvalves indicated at 48, some of which are arranged adjacent the pumpsand. another being arranged just in advance of the entrance or dischargeof the gas into the cooling tower (see Fig. 10).

The box 28, or at least the lower portion thereof constitutes a waterreservoir R provided with a drain plug and in the compartment 22 is ,apump 50 operated by a motor 52 for pumping the water from thereservoirthrough a spray pipe 54 having spray nozzles 56 so arranged as todischarge onto the coils 32, as shown clearly in Figs. 9 and 10. Due tothe forced draft or circulation through the box 28 a certain amount ofwater will become entrained in the air and the eliminators 48 serve toremove the major portion thereof. The remainder of the entrained waterpasses out of the car through the opening 42 and it is apparent thatwater in the reservoir R must be replenished from time to time. Tocompensate for loss of water in the reservoir R, a storage tank 58 isarranged in the compartment 22 and is provided with a filling pipe 60and a discharge pipe 82, the latter having its discharge end positionedwithin a make-up tank 64 and provided with a float control valve 66. Asshown clearly in Fig. 9, the make-up tank 64 is just adjacent thereservoir R and is connected thereto by pipe 65, consequently the waterlevels in the reservoir R and make-up tank 64 will remain uniform at alltimes. Loss of water from reservoir R will be .compensated by water fromthe make-up tank 64 and as the float 61 lowers in tank 84 the valve 66will be operated to replenish the water in tank 84 from the storage tank58. In the discharge pipe 62 a valve 68 is provided for an obviouspurpose.

The present invention is designed to use a liquid refrigerant which uponabsorption of heat passes to a gaseous state. Such refrigerants are wellknown in the art and any one thereof may be employed. The refrigerant,having absorbed heat, is gasifled. and the compressors obviously forcethis gas, at high pressure and in its heated condition, to the coolingtower. Passage through the cooling-tower condenses this gas and theliquid refrigerant passes to the liquid refrigerant receiver 34 fromwhere it is forced, due to pressure,

through the liquid pipe line -D (Fig. 14) indicated as a pipe 10. Thepipe 18, as clearly shown in Fig.2.extends upwardly along the side wallof the car and is connected with feeding pipes I2 extendinglongitudinally of the car body in parallel relation on opposite sides ofthe monitor deck and arranged on the ceiling of the lower deck. Asclearly shown in Fig. 1, the feeding pipes I2 are connected to the airconditioning units E by means of connections indicated generally inFigs. 1 and 2 at I4 and each thereof including a connection pipe I6having an expansion valve I8 therein; the valves being supported onbrackets 80 secured to the ceiling of the lower deck of the car asclearly shown in Fig. 7. The pipes I2 and the connections I4 aredesigned to direct the liquid refrigerant to the air conditioning unitsE for the purpose of conditioning air from the interior or passengercompartment of the car as now to be described.

As clearly shown in Figs. 5-8 inclusive, the air conditioning units Eare supported on the ceiling or top portion of the lower deck of the carand are arranged immediately adjacent the monitor deck and are eachformed to include a double walled housing indicated generally at 82, oneend portion of which is enlarged to constitute a motor chamber withinwhich is positioned a motor 84 supported on a bracket 86 secured to therear wall 88 of a blower chamber 90; the latter having a front wall 82provided with an air inlet opening 94 in communication with a metallined opening 86 formed in the sidewall of the monitor deck and providedwith a screen or filter 88 at the air entrance end thereof.

The motor is adapted to drive a fan 89 arranged within the blowerchamber 90 and the top wall I00 01' said blower chamber may be curved asshown in Fig. 5. The blower chamber also includes an air discharge neckI02 which directs air drawn into the blower chamber by the fan 98into acooling chamber I04 formed longitudinally within the housing 82 andhaving a downwardly deflected discharge end I06 (see Fig. 5) connectedto the upper .end of a discharge port I 08 extending vertically downwardthrough the ceiling of the lower deck of the car. As clearly shown inFig. 7, the port I08 increases in diameter from its point of attachmentwith the discharge end I06 of the cooling chamber whereby the velocityof the air passing therethrough is reduced. In the instance shown inFig. 7 the discharge end of the cooling chamber is indicated as beingprovided with depending flange portions I08 which are fitted within theupper end portion of the port I08, while in Fig. 5 the airdischargeportion I06 is flanged and secured as at I II to the lower wall H3 ofthe housing 82 and in this construction the housing 82, moreparticularly the cooling chamber therewithin,

may be connected in any suitable manner with the port I08 such, forexample, as by means of a; suitable coupling or other connection. Thelower end portion of the port I08 is provided with a series of bali'iesI I0'which may be adjustably supported to vary the rate of discharge andthe direction of flow of the air from the cooling chamber into thepassenger compartment of the car. As will be apparent hereinafter, dueto the low temperature of the cooling coils, water of condensation isformed which may be entrained with the air passing through the coolingchamber. This air may also contain a moisture content in excess of thatdesirable for admission into the passenger compartment of the car and toavoid this disadvantage the present construction provides a screen orfilter H2 positioned beneath the port l68 for the purpose of removingexcess moisture and foreign matter from the air immediately upon itsdischarge from the port.

The connection I6 directs liquid refrigerant to a cooling coil H4supported within the cooling chamber I04 in the path of the air passingthrough the latter and the rear end wall of the cooling chamber isformed by a series of eliminator plates H6 adapted to dehumidify the airafter it has been cooled by contact with the coil H4. Suitable guttersmay be arranged beneath the coil H4 and the eliminators H6 to take waterof condensation and obviously, suitable drains may be provided toconduct this water from the gutters to a point of discharge. Therefrigerant, in absorbing heat units from the air passing through thecooling chamber, passes from a liquid to a gaseous state and into a pipeH8 from where it passes to a suction line indicated in Fig. 14-as H anddesignated as a pipe I20 in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, said suction pipe I20being connected to the return line I (Fig. 14) heretofore described as apipe I0 and shown clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. The connections between theindividual air conditioning units E and suction line I20 are by means ofpipes or conduits I22 and each thereof is provided with a valve I24 tois0- late any desired unit E from the system and these pipes I22 mayinclude a trap I26 to retain any refrigerant which may have passedthrough the units without being changed to a gaseous state whereby toprevent return of liquid refrigerant to the compressor A.

The air conditioning units or evaporators 82, as will be obvious fromthe above description, comprise, in effect, inner and outer shellsarranged in spaced relation and the space between said shells, indicatedat I28, is preferably filled with suitable insulation but inasmuch asany preferred type of insulation may be used it has not been indicatedin the drawings. charge line H8 from the upper portion of each coolingcoil H4 is preferably embedded in insulation shown clearly in Fig. 5 atI30 and, in practice, the piping shown in Figs. 3 and 4 on the upperportion of the car is preferably covered with suitable insulation,

The passage of refrigerant to the coils H4 is preferably automaticallycontrolled by means of the beforementioned valve I8, the operation ofwhich is thermally controlled by means of a temperature responsivedevice I32 mounted on pipe H8 adjacent the coil H4 and having thermalconnection with the valve I8 through a pipe I34. Obviously differencesin the temperature of .the refrigerant as it leaves the coils H4 in- ThediS- fiuence the action of the device I32 to regiflate the admission ofliquid refrigerant through the valve 18 to the coils H4.

From the above description it is believed that those skilled in the artwill recognize that with the system charged with a liquid'refrigerantsuch as methyl chloride, ammonia or any other of the well-knownrefrigerants, operation of the compressor unit will force gas under highpressure to the condenser where it is liquefied and then passed to thecooling coils H4 of the several air conditioning units E. These coilsH4, being in the path of air withdrawn from the interior of the car at aplurality of points, serve to remove the heat units from the air, thuscooling or tempering the same. Contact of this warm air with the coldcoils I I4 obviously removes heat and moisture from the air thustempering and dehumidifying the'air. Foreign matter such as dustparticles, or excess moisture remaining in the air are removed by theeliminators H6 before the air is passed into the body of the car. Therefrigerant, upon absorption of heat, passes to a gaseous state and fromthe cooling coils H4 back to the compressor by the pipes H8, I22, I20and I where it is compressed and recirculated. Suitable electricconnections are provided for operating the several motors describedherein and the electric circuit may be controlled automatically bythermostatic means arranged within the car and subject to variations intemperature within the car body. Inasmuch as the specific electriccircuit forms no part of the present invention the same is notillustrated. As shown in Fig. 2, the thermostat T is arranged within thepassenger compartment of the car and is operative to control the valveV; the latter being arranged in the pipe 10 whereby passage of therefrigerant in the circuit is controlled.

The drawings herein illustrate one embodiment of this invention but itis to be understood that they are for illustrative purposes only andvarious changes in the form and proportions of the construction may bemade within the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a'railway passenger car of the monitor deck type,an air conditioning system comprising a refrigerant circuit having acompressor and a condenser therein, a plurality of air conditioningunits in the circuit arranged exteriorly of the car adjacent the monitordeck, said units having air intakes and air outlets in communicationwith the interior ofthe car, and means associated with each of saidunits operative in response to temperature conditions in the units forindividually controlling the passage of refrigerant to said units.

2. In combination with a railway passenger car of the monitor deck type,an air conditioning system comprising a refrigerant circuit having acompressor and a condenser therein, a plurality of air conditioningunits in the circuit arranged exteriorly of the car adjacent the monitordeck, said units having air intakes and air outlets in communicationwith the interior of the car, thermally controlled means associated witheach of said units for controlling passage of refrigerant to theindividual units, and a thermostatically controlled valve in saidcircuit for controlling circulation of refrigerant through the circuit.3. The method of conditioning and distributin air for railway passengercars of the monitor deck type having a lower deck which compriseswithdrawing the air from the car at a plurality of points at the monitordeck, cooling the air, and introducing the cooled air through theceiling of the lower deck of the car into the car at a-plurality ofpoints.

4. The method of conditioning and distributing air for railway passengercars of the monitor deck type which comprises withdrawing the air fromthe car at arelatively high point in the monitor deck and at a pluralityof points spaced longitudinally oi the car, cooling the air,dehumidifying said cooled air, and finally introducing the cooled airinto the interior of the car at a plurality of points relatively lower;than the points of withdrawal and spaced longitudinally of the car.

5. The method of conditioning and distributing air for railway passengercars of the monitor deck typehaving a lower deck which compriseswithdrawing the air from the car at the monitor deck at a plurality ofpoints spaced longitudinally of the car, cooling the air, dehumidifyingsaid cooled air, and introducing said cooled air into the car throughthe ceiling of the lower deck thereof at a plurality of points spacedlongitudinally of the car and arranged adjacent the side walls of thelatter.

6. The method of conditioning and distributing air for railway passengercars which comprises withdrawing the air from the car at the upperportion thereof at a plurality of points spaced longitudinally of thecar and arranged substantially immediately adjacent the longitudinalcenter line of the car and between the side walls of the latter, coolingthe air withdrawn outside the body of the car, and finally introducingthe cooled air into the car at a plurality of points spacedlongitudinally of the car and arranged adjacent the side walls of thelatter.

7. The method of conditioning and distributing air for railway passengercars of the monitor deck type having a lowerdeck which includeswithdrawing the air from the car at the monitor deck at a plurality ofpoints spaced longitudinally of the car, cooling the air withdrawn andthen introducing said cooled air directly into the car adjacent the sidewalls thereof through the ceiling of the lower deck whereby said air iscirculated transversely relative to the longer axis of the car.

8. In an air conditioning system for monitor deck type passenger cars, aplurality of air conditioning units arranged exteriorly of the caradjacent the monitor 'deck and provided with air intake and dischargeports in communication with the interior of the car, a refrigerant lineto which each of said units is individually connected, a compressorreceiving refrigerant subsequent to its passage through said units, anda condenser connected between said units and compressor.

9. In combination with a monitor deck type railway passenger car, an airconditioning system comprising a compressor supported by the carunderframe, a condenser within the car body adjacent one end portionthereof, a refrigerant line between the compressor and condenser, aplurality of air conditioning units supported by the ceiling of thelower deck of the car and arranged exteriorly of and adjacent themonitor deck, said units each having an air inlet and an air outletcommunicating with the interior of the car and each having a coolingcoil therein, and means connecting the cooling coils with the condenserand compressor.

10. In combination with a railway car having a monitor deck, a lowerdeck, an air tempering and conditioning unit arranged exteriorly of thecar adjacent the monitor deck and supported by the ceiling of the lowerdeck, said unit having an air inlet and an air outlet communicating withthe interior of the car.

' 11. In combination with a railway car having a monitor deck, a lowerdeck, and a plurality of air tempering and conditioning units arrangedexteriorly oi the car adjacent the monitor deck and supported by theceiling of the lower deck, said units each having an air inlet and anair outletcommunicating with the} interior of the car. r I

12. The method of conditioning and distributing air for railwaypassenger cars of the monitor deck type having a'lower deck, whichcomprises withdrawing the air from the car at a plurality 10 withdrawingthe air from the car at the monitor deck at a plurality of points spacedlongitudinal-W" ly of the car, cooling the withdrawn air and thenintroducing said cooled air directly into the car adjacent the sidewalls thereof through the ceiling of the lower deck in such a mannerthat 'air is circulated transversely relative to the lower axis of thecar, and regulating the cooling of said air in response to temperaturevariations within the car.

HERBERT D. EUWER.

